Federal Police warns municipalities of identity card theft

At the request of the Federal Police, all town halls in Belgium are to remain extra alert for identity card theft after a number of cards and visas were stolen from various municipalities since the beginning of the year, writes Het Laatste Nieuws.

The thefts involve stacks of new identity cards and visas waiting to be picked up by residents. The thieves usually change only the photograph on the document and then sell it on the black market for up to €8,500 per ID card, according to the newspaper.

Among the municipalities that have fallen victim to ID card theft in recent months are Antwerp, Charleroi, Brussels, Liège, Mons, Ghent, Anderlecht, Schaerbeek and Sint-Jans-Molenbeek.

The police sees a link with the current refugee crisis. "Just recently, a number of refugees in Austria were found in possession of stolen visas from Belgium," says federal police chief Tom Broekaert.